On the work front:
J4JCharms came out strong. I never believed in my wildest dreams we could have had such a great opening! It continues to grow on a daily basis, and I have added a few new things, have a slew of things that I hope to add by the end of the week, and a list of many more to come. We are adding image charms to add on or to replace name charms. This is such a great way to further customize your jewelry! Most are black and white vector images (aka black shadows) of vintage items, birds, butterflies, etc. We are adding charms of states in the U.S. and you can add a small heart in your city of choice! I am looking to add vintage maps and vintage images of birds and plants.
Plus, if all goes as planned, we are looking to add gold filled to the charm shop! Gold filled is a great option for the shop, as it will keep prices in the same vacinity as the sterling, but will offer another finish option for those of you that love gold! Gold is so timeless, it is really coming back these days, and will be beautiful as charm pieces. I have a few more things to work out, but I really think this will be a valid option for the shop. Most likely we will be carrying it in the 8 and 12 mm charms, and most of the "standard wire wrapped beads and metal charms." There are some limitations to the gold filled, so at this time we will not be adding the 16 mm charms.
I am working so hard on getting the regular Jonesing for Jewelry Etsy shop revamped. I am so excited for where this shop is going. I have found that my "lazy" days I like to wear simple matching sets, and for more formal occassions I like to swap out either the necklace or earrings for something more substantial. The sets will be sold seperately so you can mix and match as you please! Plus all of them will be offered in different sizes and finishes (oxidized, brushed, and bright silver finishes, and a handful will be offered in gold filled)!!!
Right now I am in the fabrication process of most of the items, and will be looking to have more of a "grand re-opening" where I post most of the items at once rather than piddle them in as I make them. However, if there is something you just have to have and can't wait for, you can always contact me. Most items I am taking simple pictures of as they are made on my Facebook
I am also working on revamping the whole Jonesing for Jewelry brand. I've been touching base about the design process for the blog. It is really going to be more of a website that has a blog roll on the front of it. It's going to be AWESOME! It'll be nice to consolidate some of the websites and have one centralized place to send people to. I will be looking to purchase several domain names, so if you forget http://www.jonesingforjewelry.com/ and type in j4jcharms.com or j4j.com all of it will filter you to the new site! After my designer and I come up with a new logo etc. I'll work that and incorporate it into the Etsy shops, my business cards, and jewelry packaging.
On the personal front:
I guess this is more work related too, but I have been lucky enough this year, and really hoping to bring the jewelry to a whole new level in 2012 that I have cut back some of my "other job" hours. It's pretty exciting for me personally. I hope one day that I'll be fortunate enough to be picked for Etsy's "Quit Your Day Job" blog posts, but at the least I do believe I'll be able to post the story here eventually and pursue the jewelry as a full time career. For now, it's all about timing and ensuring my family is in the right place to be able to make it work.
Dave is working his little booty off at work and around the house. With all the jewelry work and other things I have going on he is having to take on the majority of household tasks. I am so lucky and thankful to have his support and encouragement. I really cannot put into words all that he has done for me. I hope that I can repay him in the future and give him the support and encouragement he needs to pursue his dreams. But for now, I can't say thank you enough.
Kaleb is growing oh so fast. I worry everyday how the choices I am making professionally are effecting him. It is a constant balancing act between work and home life (even if you aren't trying to start your own business!) I truley believe the best thing I can do for him is to show him how to follow your dreams. Not just to tell him, but strive for it and to accomplish it. Show him that hard work can be challenging, but exciting and rewarding all at the same time.
And now... I go back to filling the shops! Hope all is well in your lives, and you too are reaching whatever goals make you happy!
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